


Just Call the Shots, Babe

by echo_wolf



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1769980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echo_wolf/pseuds/echo_wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are moments when Kelley's in her own world...and Ali's right in the center of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Call the Shots, Babe

**Author's Note:**

> Title based off "I Wanna Be Yours" by Arctic Monkeys

"My hair's a mess." 

Ali sighed and, without looking up from her Philosophy book, replied, "You're going to practice. I'm sure Coach isn't going to mind." 

Kelley huffed, "Brush my hair for me?"

The older girl rolled her eyes before setting her book down and patting the sofa cushion beside her, "C'mon."

Her hair was the first thing Ali noticed about Kelley. It always seemed like a mess but Ali loved how she could still find order in the chaos of tresses. Her baby hairs would protrude no matter how much she tried to tame each and every strand. She admired the dedication.

On the few occasions she wore it down, Ali marveled at the fact that it wasn't straight nor was it curly...it was a nice, wavy blend, the perfect kind that she could run her fingers through. 

Before Ali could process it, Kelley nestled her back to Ali’s front. The brunette didn't seem to mind the change in position, and Kelley didn't protest to the way the older girl mindlessly played with her hair. Somehow the moment changed from simply getting ready for practice to sharing a safe haven before soccer.

"We should do this more often." Kelley announced out of the blue, exhaling a calm breath. 

Nodding slowly, Ali also released a breath in hopes of keeping everything inside of her steady.

***

Scoring goals had always been Ali's favorite thing in the world, but there was something about the way Kelley's entire face lit up like a million lights at Ali's goal that challenged that very notion. Ali tried to match that absolute look of excitement, but ended up distracted by just how different Kelley smiled and looked at her than at anyone else.

Kelley, being the team player with absolute modesty, was ecstatic for any goal regardless of whether or not the forward ever scored one herself. But Ali scored this goal, and Kelley looked at her like she was the only person in the world. They only had this moment for a fleeting second before the other Cardinals caught up with them, jumping and cheering around them.

Oh, but that moment...it was enough to send Ali flying to the clouds. She was beginning to question whether she was addicted to the validation of scoring a goal or to the intoxicating way her heart wanted to leap out of her chest at the sight of Kelley running towards her-- smile, freckles and all. 

Ali lived for those moments she would find Kelley at the top of the box and the ball would inevitably roll into the net shortly after because Ali could never get enough of that mesmerizing smile. Assists and goals between them made Ali feel like she was on top of the world with Kelley there to prevent her falling from grace. Ali believed wholeheartedly that they were unstoppable together, that nothing could touch them. Nothing could ever compare. 

Needless to say, Ali was hooked at being the center of Kelley's celebrations because then Ali got to know what it was like to the center of Kelley's universe. 

***

After long days on the pitch and the rest of the Cardinals had left the two of them on the field, Kelley was always the first one to call it quits. Ali never attributed this to any notion of laziness because they wouldn’t leave the pitch right away. Kelley lingered to look at the stars and Ali lingered to look at the girl with enough freckles to fill their own constellation. 

From time to time, Ali would be able catch the moment Kelley looked up at the sky in sheer amazement, like a child witnessing magic. This look caught Ali's attention very much like the way one caught a glimpse of a shooting star in the night sky. The older brunette wished very much to see it again and again amongst midnight blue. 

Except Kelley's eyes weren't blue. They seemed to be everything but blue to Ali. Green speckles, brown accents and every color in between. All those colors belonged to Kelley-- as Ali inexplicably wished she belonged. They laid in the middle of the pitch, their hands barely touching. And all Ali could feel was her pulse radiating from where their skin touched. And she half-hoped that Kelley felt her heartbeat too. 

Kelley's gaze refused the sky for more than a fleeting moment to peer over to the older brunette, a wicked smile already plastered on her face. This situation wasn't different from all the other times Kelley decided to sprawl out on the grass. It wasn't a foreign idea nor was it a tradition. But this instance was special, and both of them could feel it.

If Ali wasn’t so hyper aware of Kelley, she would have missed her whispered words, "Tell me something, Ali. Anything." 

Their eyes locked in a gaze, "Anything?"

The response was a little more audible than a mumble, "Yeah, tell me about your day or something."

"Kell, I was with you the whole day.” And it wasn’t a lie. Practice days consisted of their schedules aligning almost perfectly. She nearly laughed outright, “What could you possibly not know?"

Ali knew without even looking that her best friend was shrugging like it wasn't a weird question, "I mean, like, are you happy?"

With a smile, Ali's gaze returned to the stars, "Of course, I am." She paused and her voice shrunk to a murmur, "Are you?" 

Kelley released a content sigh, and Ali failed to remember exactly when Kelley's fingers became entwined in her own. 

"Yeah, I mean, can you believe the stars tonight?" Ali questioned where the shiver running through her spine came from. There was no breeze of any kind. "They're beautiful." The brunette swallowed the nervousness boiling in her throat as if she couldn't feel Kelley's eyes trained on her. "And I get the view all to myself."

Even though Ali didn’t dare move her gaze from the stars, she could swear she saw Kelley’s freckles in the constellations, and she suddenly started to wonder when she decided to hold her breath. 

***  
The first time Ali woke up in Kelley’s arms on a Sunday morning where there was no practice and no commotion amongst the rest of the Cardinals with whom they shared their house, she swore it was a dream. At least, she thought it was a dream until Kelley stirred, snoring slightly and pulling her closer. The sensation was enough to prove her wrong. 

Of course, it was entirely Kelley’s idea because she was cold and she just really wanted Ali’s company. And how could Ali refuse when Kelley pouted like that? After all, Ali had to admit that the entire interaction was adorable. Kelley climbed into bed and opened her arms for the older girl to settle in, rambling on and on about everything and nothing all at once. Ali swore it was an O’Hara habit to talk so mindlessly and fluidly, but she could also swear that it was a Kelley thing to fall asleep mid-sentence. 

And when she did, Ali gingerly placed a kiss on Kelley’s jaw careful not to wake the sleeping girl. Ali finally rested her head against Kelley’s chest, sleep slowly overtaking her too. She thought she heard Kelley mumble something about not wanting to let go right before her eyelids slid closed. She fell asleep with a faint smile. 

Ali woke up and instantly wanted to disentangle herself from the younger girl’s sleeping form but nearly blushed at how clingy Kelley was. So, she lingered longer than she planned to on a Sunday morning, but unsurprisingly she had no qualms with that. Who else gets to wake up like this? Who else gets to see Kelley as the sun hits her freckles at just the right angle? She let out a sigh. She traced her fingers lightly along Kelley’s jawline and felt her own fingers tingle where she discretely kissed Kelley the night before like her body remembered where they connected until Kelley would wake up and look at her like she witnessed the sunrise for the first time.

They slept together like this on more than one occasion with cuddling and more cuddling. Innocent as these moments were, it was enough to make Ali’s heart swell like it was going to fill her chest entirely. The closeness, the way Kelley held her like she was the only person who mattered in the world, consumed Ali’s entire being. 

***

Kelley was a decent cook (and avoided burning food now and then) but Ali was better. Kelley came back from class one day, stomach complaining due to lack of refueling throughout the course of the day, and was immediately greeted by a smell that meant only one thing. Ali made dinner.

Ali turned off the stove, ready to head back to reading her Psychology book only to find an exhausted Kelley O'Hara waiting in the doorway behind her. “Hey, how’s the busy life of a semester-programmer?” 

The freckled girl shrugged, “Oh, you know. Just spent hours looking for a semi-colon. The usual.” Ali loved how she smiled like the damned semi-colon wasn’t a big deal. The forward smiled even wider at the sight of food on the stove, "You made chicken?"

Ali chuckled, not at all surprised that she could guess the food without even looking. "Do you like Lemon Pepper? I swear Press used all the oregano."

Kelley nodded eagerly and took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma, "It smells perfect." 

The brunette fought the smile and the blush threatening to reveal themselves on her face. "I guess you're hungry, then."

"When you cook? Yeah." Kelley grinned, "You're like my own personal chef."

Ali's heart fluttered at the thought as she instinctively pulled the younger woman in to kiss her on the nose.

***

Kelley sat criss-crossed on the floor, her laptop in front of her and her brow furrowing as she focused. 

“Kell?” Ali called from the chair. No answer. “Kell.” Silence. She picked up an eraser and launched it at the striker, “Kelley!”

“What?!” The freckled girl looked around wildly, her eyes wide and confused. 

“Sorry,” Ali offered a sheepish smile, “I was wondering if you were still in the same dimension down there.”

“Abstract math is hard. I’d rather do physics.” 

The defender features deadpanned as she scratched her head, “Physics is abstract?”

“Psychology is abstract.” The younger girl pointed out as if it were a matter of fact. “Physics makes the world go round,” she paused to chuckle at her own pun, “Literally.” 

Ali blinked rapidly before she let out a huff, “Anyway...I think you’ve been on the ground for too long. Come sit.” She pulled out the chair next to her and patted the seat with her hand, “Please?” 

Kelley beamed, “Okay. But only because I think you need some more physics in your little abstract bubble up there.” 

The brunette pouted when Kelley left her laptop on the floor and deliberately chose the seat across from her, “Psych isn’t contagious, Kell. You can sit next to me.” 

The striker shook her head as she sat down. “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to be any cause for distraction.” There was a twinkle in her green eyes that Ali couldn't quite shake from her system, “I mean, you are reading about,” she glanced at the psychology book to read the title, “Attraction.” 

“Kelley Maureen O’Hara,” Kelley grinned at the sound of her full name, but it only caused Ali to get even more riled up, “You are such a--”

When Kelley leaned across the table for a chaste kiss, neither of them were surprised. A little shy, yes. But Ali reveled in the way that she could feel the electricity on Kelley's lips as if she had hard evidence to prove attraction was tangible as the feeling lingered on her lips.

Ali’s eyes still slid shut, “I think an argument can be made for psychology: not abstract.” And when Ali tried her luck, leaning across the table to meet the other girl halfway, Kelley welcomed the advance with an elicited moan. 

“Hmm,” Kelley pondered, “But physics is what allowed this,” she placed another kiss on Ali’s lips, “Don’t you think?” 

The defender kissed the smirk right off her lips, hoping that she would be the only one to ever be on the receiving end of Kelley’s playfulness or even hear that sound that falls from her lips in weighted gasps.

***

“Kelley, come on, look at the camera please.” Kelley glared at the camera before procuring a goofy expression, “See? Everyone needs to see that O’Hara charm.”

“Ali, please say that you’re not zooming in on my face again.” The striker threw a piece of cereal from her bowl of dry Lucky Charms at the brunette. 

“Of course, not.” Ali snickered as she dodged the flying breakfast food, “I’m zooming out.” 

Kelley shook her head and turned her attention to her Sunday comics, her face in steady amusement as her eyes skipped around the page looking for her favorite. Garfield or Peanuts, no doubt. 

The moment she found her comic, Ali zoomed the camera in again on the slight twitch of the corner of Kelley’s mouth as she probably read a pun that was storing away for future use. She angled the camera up a little so that she could see the constellation of freckles. 

Everyone can see the numerous freckles that decorated Kelley's face (it was her self-proclaimed trademark), but Ali's probably one of the only few to see them in other places. The others were like Ali's own little map of memories she had with the forward. She noted the one on the nape of her neck during their first fight and Kelley turned her back, head hung just enough so Ali could barely catch it inviting her to reach out and touch it. The lone freckle just below her shoulder blade was recorded the night they lost the College Cup, and Ali loved how she could watch goosebumps form where she laid her lips. She could still count the freckles when they won the WPS championship, connecting the dots of Orion’s belt scattered across her chest. She remembered the one on her back that caused Kelley to shiver every time, the button for detonating an explosion between them.

Somewhere between Ali counting freckles and Kelley encouraging exploration, Ali started to really believe in foreplay because it worked far too well for Kelley O'Hara.

***

Kelley was clumsy with everything, but soccer and her hands.

The all too eager forward was always talented with the ball and with the game, quick on her feet and anticipation on high alert. Ali loved the focus on her face, so intense that she almost looked lost.

When they fought, Kelley would try to make a dramatic exit via slamming some form of a door, but it always resulted in the striker bumping into the said door most times with enough force that guaranteed a bruise. She probably couldn't win dodgeball even if she took it seriously enough to refrain from flailing and shrieking out in horror only to hide behind Ali. Carrying groceries in her arms without dropping an item just outside of the car seemed an almost impossible feat (except for that one time Ali wasn’t there and Kelley swore she drove away from the store without any of the groceries meeting concrete). 

Despite being in full confidence of the aforementioned examples, Ali couldn’t quite help herself when Kelley begged to be taken to club where alcohol and potentially-dangerous O’Hara dancing would be involved. Ali didn’t regret letting her have her fun because she was equally entertained watching Kelley belt out a Ke$ha song, holding her fifth beer. She especially didn’t mind when Kelley finally let go of her beverage and focused all her attention on the sober defender-- then it became all hips and skin-on-skin contact. 

Kelley tripped on her own feet following Ali up the stairs, with nothing in her hand but Ali’s. And if Ali had kept track correctly, she had literally bumped into every piece of furniture they passed in the house to this point. And the furniture count continued as the back of Kelley’s knees hit the bed. 

It was endearing, Ali inwardly admitted. But she had no time to think about endearing thoughts when the way Kelley's hands roamed effortlessly down her front was enough to empty her thinking capacity. Ali could’ve sworn she was the sober one and Kelley was the one fumbling with inebriety.

But Kelley's mouth was on her neck, breath hot against her ear, as if she memorized each and every action that would elicit a reaction from the brunette. She discovered a new freckle on Kelley's shoulder, which she nipped at gently before storing it in her map for future exploration. Ali's eyes glazed over when Kelley's expertise fully replaced her clumsiness. Gasps still lingered on her neck while Kelley's hand increased in tempo against her, making Ali realize exactly what it feels like to be Kelley's.

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to my beta, the lovely Kirsten (thefantasmickah), without whom this piece of work would not have come to fruition.


End file.
